Epilogue…about eleven months later.
“Whose idea was this shit anyway?” Brick scoffs as he stands and pinches his pink pajama pants that are covered with red hearts down his legs. He’s been complaining about his pjs since they got here.
“The pajamas or this karaoke machine?” Dodge asks, sounding annoyed.
“Both, nigga,” he huffs.
“Ours,” me, Hazel, and Presha say at the same time then laugh.
It’s the Sweetest Day and the three of us thought it would be cute to celebrate it together.
I’m hosting at Daymir’s and I cooked the food and desserts.
Presha handled the decorations. Hazel took care of the drinks and entertainment and each couple was tasked with wearing matching heart themed pajamas.
Everything came together perfectly. Daymir and I are wearing black pjs with red hearts and Presha and Dodge have on some red and white pjs with pink hearts.
The living room end tables have the cutest heart centerpieces and Presha even decorated the fireplace with hearts and a SWEETEST DAY sign on top.
As for the food, of course, I kept with the theme.
For appetizers we have shrimp cocktail but I deconstructed it and shaped the shrimp into hearts and placed a dollop of cocktail sauce in the middle of the shrimp hearts.
The main course is surf and turf and the sirloins are heart-shaped.
For desserts, we have red velvet cookies and white chocolate covered strawberries.
The bartender, Hazel, hooked us up with a drink she’s calling the Hot Honey, a delicious but strong ass hell cocktail with hot honey, muddled strawberries, and bourbon.
Tonight, it’s just the adults. DJ and his grandmother, Miss Pat, are at the Metropolitan Hotel, staying for the weekend.
She came in Monday for his fall break and has been here all week but Daymir put them up because of our plans.
It’s been over a year and no one has heard from Makenna.
If it wasn’t for a few people in Houston who know Makenna reporting to Miss Pat that they’ve seen her, we wouldn’t know if she was dead or alive.
She really abandoned her child but thankfully he has his father, Miss Pat, and me, and it’s official.
In February, Daymir was awarded sole custody of DJ.
“Ya’ll got ten minutes,” Presha says when Dodge walks to the bar behind Daymir and Brick. “We are starting karaoke when ya’ll get back and we are all singing,” she says and he just shakes his head.
“I don’t know why he’s acting like that. They can all sing,” she says.
“I know. Well, I know Daymir can. He kept it from me for a minute but I caught him singing in the shower a few months back and he can blow,” I admit.
Imagine my surprise when we where showering together and he started to hum.
I didn’t comment and while I was washing his back, the humming turned into a song and he unintentionally serenaded me with one of my favorite Sol songs.
His deep baritone sent chills down my spine.
I didn’t mention it until a few days after that but when I called him out, he admitted that his grandmother could sing and they got it from her.
It was just something he didn’t do often but he sings for me now.
“Let me find out Brick’s ass can sing,” Hazel says.
“He can. Dodge says they get it from their grams. Maybe we can get them to do a group song. I love some New Edition,” Presha says.
“My vote is Jagged Edge,” I say because while I do love New Edition, JE is my favorite.
“But before they come back, we need to discuss the Gala really quick. I had Tae send me a mockup of her banquet hall decoration idea. I love it but I want your opinion,” I tell them after I pull of the pictures our party planner sent me this morning.
Our car club is up and running and our first official fundraising event, our Ghostly Gala, is next week at the banquet hall at the Blue Mountain Resort.
We are having a Halloween theme fundraising event to adopt a few families at the women’s shelter for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It’s going to be an upscale costume party with an auction.
“Oh damn! I fucking love it,” Hazel says.
“Me too. It’s dark, sexy, but elegant. Yeah,” Presha nods. “That’s it.”
“I know right. Daymir and I are really going to stick with a phantom of the opera type vibe. I found a sexy ass mask for him. I just got to find one for me. I also got the hospital to donate for the auction,” I tell them.
“What hoe? Needles?” Hazel says, laughing.
“No, bitch. Money,” I say. I’ve been back at Mount Sinai since the new year and I absolutely love it. My CVOR team is everything. The nurses, surgeons, and scrub techs all get along and the surgeons collectively donated ten grand.
“Oh good,” Presha gushes. “We’re going to be able to help so many families.”
“Ya’ll ready to get this shit over with cause I’m ready to eat,” Dodge says.
“Oh, we’re ready and I have a request,” I say and Daymir leans in and kisses my lips.
“What you want, baby?” he asks.
“A group song. Jagged Edge,” I plead.
“I got you,” he quickly says.
“How you gone agree for us, nigga?” Brick asks.
“Cause I need my back up so back the fuck up,” Daymir teases.
The three of them walk to the front by Hazel’s setup. She’s extra as hell because she brought a whole professional looking system with a stand, HD touch screen, four microphones, a receiver, an amp, and a huge speaker set.
They each grab a mic then Daymir plays with the touch screen for a minute until he finds their song.
The three of them are a trip because it takes them too damn long to line up.
Dodge and Brick are giving him a hard time about taking lead but my man makes a stand and claims the lead spot.
He presses the screen and the music starts.
For the beginning of the song, Daymir starts to hum and the two of them come in with the harmonies. They really can sing. When the bass comes in, Daymir’s deep, melodic baritone starts with, “It’s like Jorden and Pippen, Shaq and Kobe.” And I immediately recognize the song, Head of the Household.
“Oh shit,” Hazel screams while waving her hand like it’s a real concert. I smile too, hard, because I love his voice.
He starts stepping towards me while singing, “We gotta be a team. Just me and you, girl.” When he reaches me, he sticks out his free hand and I take it. He passes his mic to Brick then he kneels down in front of me. Brick and Dodge stop singing but the music is still playing.
Realizing what’s really happening right now, everything in me stills but my heart. It’s beating like a drumline and every nerve in my body is pulsating under my skin.
“Daymir,” I gasp.
A smile creeps across his handsome face as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small black box.
When he opens it, my mouth drops open but nothing comes out, not even air.
The beautiful diamond ring with a diamond and orange sapphire band stole my breath.
Presha and Hazel are up now. I’m sure this ring pulled them off the sectional because they are both standing to my side gawking at it too.
“Baby,” he begins and I’m pretty sure I’m still not breathing.
Although I’ve dreamed of this moment, I never imagine it would be as surprising as this.
He’s on one knee, holding the perfect ring.
“I’ve been crazy about you since the day we met and I hopped in your ride.
I've loved every moment of this journey with you.
Imani, there's no one else I'd rather have riding with me for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"
My breath returns and I exhale as I wipe the tears pouring from my eyes. After leaning in and passionately kissing him, I say, “On one condition,” and his eyebrows pinch.
“What’s that?”
“You let me drive sometimes,” I say and he chuckles.
“Aw, baby. You got that whenever you want.”
“Then, yes. Of course, I’ll marry you,” I say then slide down unto his knee. My arms latch around his neck. “I love you so much.”
“I love you more.”
THAT’S THE END OF THEIR RIDE!